Patients at Kulaura Upazila Health Complex in Moulvibazar are facing significant challenges due to frequent power outages, compounded by a nonfunctional backup generator that has remained out of service for over two decades. The electricity shortages are adversely affecting patient care, including critical treatments and diagnostic processes.
Three-month-old Hosna, admitted to the health complex with pneumonia, relies on nebuliser treatments multiple times a day to alleviate her breathing difficulties. However, the intermittent power supply often prevents timely administration of the therapy, forcing her parents, Saheda Begum and Sajal Mia, to wait for electricity to be restored. Other patients at the facility experience similar disruptions, with power cuts also delaying pathology tests and leaving patients and their attendants without relief from the heat as ceiling fans cease to operate.
According to Shahadat Hossain, a sub-assistant engineer at the Kulaura office of the Power Development Board, the region faces a daily peak electricity demand of approximately 19 megawatts, while the available supply from the national grid is limited to 10 to 12 megawatts. This supply deficit necessitates load-shedding to balance demand and availability.
Despite the presence of a generator intended as a backup power source, the unit has been out of service for more than 20 years. Dr. Zakir Hossain, the former upazila health officer who served at the complex until four months ago, indicated that he raised concerns about the generator’s condition with higher authorities during his tenure. He stated that fuel conservation was often cited as a reason for not operating the generator, which, after prolonged disuse, deteriorated beyond repair.
The current upazila health and family planning officer, Dr. Utpal Das, who recently joined the health complex, acknowledged the ongoing difficulties. He said that efforts are underway to address the issue, including reviewing previous documents and preparing new applications to request a replacement generator from higher authorities. Until then, patients and staff at the facility continue to contend with frequent power interruptions that affect the delivery of essential healthcare services.